UCO Basketball Picks up Consecutive Wins in Tahlequah Over the Weekend

The University of Central Oklahoma men’s basketball team went undefeated in its two-game series this past weekend at the Central Region Challenge in Northeastern State University’s Tahlequah Event Center. 

UCO opened up with a 62-47 win over Minnesota Crookston on Friday to start their slate of games in the Central Region Challenge. The Bronchos opened up the first half, shooting 47.8% from the field and 37.5% from the perimeter. They also turned in 5 free throws at a 62.5% clip to propel them to a 20 to 10 lead going into halftime. 

Through the second half, UCO outscored Minnesota Crockston 32 to 27. However, their shooting percentages dropped to 40% and 20% from the field and the perimeter, respectively. Although the scoring margin was smaller in the second half for the Bronchos, they still managed to keep a 15-point lead by the time the final buzzer sounded. Free throws would ultimately dictate the game’s conclusion as the Bronchos converted 11 of their 14 attempts in the second half while the Golden Eagles only cashed out on 4 of their 7 attempts from the charity stripe. 

Josh Nwankwo, who leads the Bronchos in scoring at just over 19 points per game, added a team-high 19 points on 7 of 11 shooting. Nwankwo’s offensive performance was highlighted by an efficient showing from the perimeter, where the senior forward went 2-3 on three-pointers. His efforts from deep would account for half of the team’s three-point makes as the Bronchos struggled to convert 4 of their 12 field goals from beyond the arc.

Matthew Willenborg turned in an all-around performance for UCO as the junior forward recorded a game-high 10 rebounds, 12 points, 4 steals, 3 assists, and 2 blocks. Senior forward Jacobi Sebock was the third and final Broncho to reach double digits in scoring. Sebock, who was an All-MIAA player last season, also snagged 3 rebounds and dished out 2 assists before fouling out after 18 minutes of play. Sophomore guard Jack Robinson added 9 points in his first start for the Bronchos this season, while Marcus Ziegler Jr., the other starter at the guard position, scored 7 points Friday evening. Chase Sucharda came off the bench and added a three-pointer to wrap up the scoring for UCO. 

UCO wrapped up its time in Tahlequah this past weekend with another double-digit win on Saturday, beating Arkansas-Monticello 70 to 57. The Bronchos improved their offensive efficiency from Friday, entering the half shooting 61.3% from the field and 50% from the perimeter. The score reflected UCO’s performance with the Bronchos leading the Boll Weevils 42 to 21 coming into the second half of play. 

The beginning of the second half was more of the same as UCO grew its lead to 26 points within the first six minutes. However, shooting woes came back to haunt the Bronchos in the final half of regulation. Their percentages dropped to 32% and 36.4% from the field and the three-point line. The Boll Weevils spent the second half whittling down UCO’s lead, even outscoring the Bronchos in the half 36 to 28. They came within 13 points as the game went to a close.

To counter their second-half inefficiencies and respond to Arkansas-Monticello’s improved scoring output in the second half, UCO once again leaned on consistently getting to the charity stripe and converting on its free throws. They got to the free-throw line 12 times in the second half and capitalized on eight of their attempts. 

Willenborg led UCO’s offense with a game-high 26 points against Arkansas-Monticello on Saturday. His efforts on the offensive end were extremely efficient as Willenborg only missed 4 out of his 15 attempts from the field. He added 3 three-pointers on 50% shooting as well. Willenborg affected the game in his usual spots as well, adding 9 rebounds, three assists, and a block for the Bronchos. Sebock followed closely in scoring, with 22 points on 50% from the field. The senior forward for the Bronchos also added 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block. Nwankwo was the third and final Broncho to reach double digits in scoring with 11 points.

Central Oklahoma’s next contest will also be its home opener as the Bronchos take on Southwestern Oklahoma State in a non-conference matchup. Their debut at the Hamilton Field House will be tomorrow evening, with tipoff to begin at 7 p.m. UCO will be back on the road for a contest against West Texas A&M this coming weekend.